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Dusty Old Thing

On the hunt for an antique bargain? You can try scouring antique stores and auctions, where negotiating will often lower the price a bit — or you can get creative with where exactly you’re searching for those much-loved collectibles. Hidden gems aren’t always in the most obvious places, right?

Add some of the places below to your antique adventures, and you’ll find a whole new world of items out there. At times it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack, but it’s all worth it once you find a true treasure out there.

Yard Sales and Garage Sales

Yard sales, sidewalk sales, and the like — these are perfect places for finding bargains because you can also negotiate. If someone’s trying to get rid of their stuff — especially if it’s a moving sale — then that seller is likely pretty flexible about price (and probably already has marked stuff pretty low).

Yard sales and similar sales definitely need a time commitment — you’ll probably want to hit more than one in a day, and people typically have alotto offer. Try to get there early so you don’t miss out on anything good, and check the ads themselves to see if any items stand out so you can ask about them right away (and skip the digging).

Thrift Stores

Lots of gems are hiding on thrift shop shelves, and prices are typically pretty reasonable since the items benefit a good cause. And there’s no pressure for haggling here — if you find something amazing for a cheap price, go for it! There’s a good chance you’ll find some high-quality antiques with a little bit of digging.

Plus, new stuff is coming in all the time — so visiting the same place twice doesn’t get old.

Curbs

Hey, there’s a reason people put their stuff out on the curb — they’d rather you take it. There’s no shame in stopping and seeing what one person might call trash, just to see if it’s actually a treasure. Usually there is a big pile of stuff waiting on the curb, and the homeowner knows that some people might stop by to see what’s in there.

Online

On websites like eBay, you might have success bidding on items that the seller hasn’t marked as extremely pricy — even if the item itself is somewhat valuable.Yahoo! Voicesalso suggests looking for items that aren’t on the radar of many people — oftentimes items that have misspelled info or that haven’t been identified correctly. While everyone else hones in on one item, you’ll be sneakily finding bargains elsewhere on the Internet.

Rummage Sale

Similar in theory to a thrift store — though typically without the permanent building — rummage sales are often held in churches and schools to support charitable events and organizations. These sales are another great place to look for antique bargains, with the added bonus that your purchase benefits a good cause.

In the quest for finding bargains, don’t forget etiquette — if you’re looking to negotiate price, don’t insult the seller by offering a very low price in hopes that you’ll get an item for cheap. Bargain-hunting is all about finding those hidden gems, not trying to actively swindle anyone — it’s the hunt for the low price tags that makes it so fun!